Monday, December 28, 2009

FIVE LIFE EVENTS FOR ME IN 2009

Feb: Infection fighting white blood cell count 0

March: Diagosed with LGL a rare form of Leukemia, and meds started.

June: Parker came from Texas to visit for 2 months.

August: Robbin, Parker, and Kyle came from Texas for a long weekend to visit.

October: White blood cell count up to low normal range, may get off meds in early 2010 for awhile.

Here is to the end of...........

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Sunday, December 27, 2009

2010

I love the new year. I am always glad to put away the holiday decorations and get ready to start new. I like to have a project besides my "winter puzzle" that lasts til spring. This year it is a small one. I got some new wall decor for my bathroom and will be putting it together soon. That will give me a boost. As winter creeps on and I begin to want it over, I will be looking for new throw pillows. That is crazy, but new throw pillows always perk me up.

Wishing for a great new year for myself, as I am sort of a me person. And to everyone else.



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Sunday, October 25, 2009

SO, I HAVE A SICK SENSE OF HUMOR


Three Californian surgeons were playing golf together and discussing surgeries they had performed.. One of them said, "I'm the best surgeon in California . In my favorite case, a concert pianist lost sever fingers in an accident, I reattached them, and 8 months later he performed a private concert for the Queen of England ."

The second surgeon said, "That's nothing. A young man lost an arm and both legs in an accident, I reattached them and two years later he won a gold medal in track and field events at the Olympics."

The third surgeon said, "You guys are amateurs. Several years ago a woman was high on cocaine and marijuana and she rode a horse head-on into a train traveling 80 miles an hour. All I had left to work with was the woman's hair and the horse's ass. I was able to put them together and now she's Speaker of the House.





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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

MY FACINATION PLANT FOR THE SUMMER

I began watching a small green plant that I was not sure would even have a bloom,did not know what it was. Jim planted the dried blooms that our daughter gave us last fall, that someone had given her and did not tell her what it was.

Then it grew and grew and began to put on little blooms, which have grown into hugh blooms. I finally found out it is a cockscomb. I did not know they ever got this big. I guess it will keep growing til frost. It is about 6 ft now.

This plant has made my summer, it is like a work in progress, and you have to check it, and if you miss a few days it has really changed.







Tuesday, August 11, 2009

FORTY YEARS AND THE STORY STILL RUNS CHILLS DOWN YOUR SPINE.

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Living in the midwest far from CA did not lesson the fear of the Manson Family murders. To think that people could just kill at random was so unsettling. When all the arrests were made, it was mind boggling to me that these girls would follow and worship this man enough to kill for him. It is still very hard for me to see how someone can take control like that.

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These young people now are old and some are wanting to get out due to illness or the fact they are rehabilitated. They want parole. I would say they got more mercy than they deserve when CA abolished the death penalty. They showed the victims no mercy.

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I read the book Helter Skelter when it came out. In addition to the murders, one of the chilling parts of the book was when they told about going out and "Creepy Crawling". They would go into people's houses when they were asleep and creep around and move things on the tables and walls, just to see if they could do it without waking.

I have been watching some news shows on this recently and it brought back my memories of forty years ago. It was a scary time.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

SOME RESULTS



We sliced this little round one after it was inside a few days. It was meaty, but did not taste very good. The one on the vine we brought in and let ripen, and surprisingly it was a tomatoe inside. There are about a dozen on the vine. They will work for salads.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

END OF JULY TOUR OF THE PLANTING

Surprise Lilles surprised me, thought they died.



Cockscomb continues to grow taller and bloom bigger


Ten tomatoes on this plant, still some blooms.


Got out this evening to check out what is still growing in my yard. Things are a changin.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

MYSTERY SOLVED




It's a Cockscomb. I have seen small ones, but not this tall.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

OUR MYSTERY PLANT IS BLOOMING








We planted some seeds our daughter gave us last fall in this pot. We did not know it was going to grow and grow. It is still growing and now is going to have blooms of some kind on it. They are just beginning, so I do not know how big the bloom will get.
If we had known this was going to be so big we would have planted some in a row in the ground. Will try again next near when we know how big it gets.
Anyone know what it is??

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Will They Really Be Tomatoes






Progress from blooms to itty bitty tomatoes. I have not tried to grow any for years. Guess we will see if I get a bite of red tomato from them.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

SURPRISE














I have been watching the little fuzzy balls on these plants for a week wondering what they were going to be. I planted a wild flower pack in the new garden around a tree. It was such a pleasant surprise to find this pretty flower pop. I have had a pink one, and the red and the orange. There are lots more of the plants, so I do not know what colors they will be.
You can go out and look several times a day and new ones will bloom, they just pop, pop, pop.






Saturday, June 6, 2009

I Love Tomatoes

I have a bloom on one of the tomatoe plants.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Flowers and Plants are Beginning to take off.





My flowers are really looking healthier,and the tomato plant is growing.
I am already hungry for a tomato.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Summer, at Last




My plants are doing great. I get a hanging plant every year from my secret pal, and this one is one of the prettiest I have gotten.


My potted plants are beginning to take off and I need to get some new pictures of them, only have ones when I planted them.


We put a tomatoe plant in a 5 gallon bucket, and it is really getting on now. This picture here I have of it is not too clear, will need to catch up on it too. It was doing so well, that today Jim went and got another and fixed it. I love tomatoes, so I am hoping to have lots this summer.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Having a Bad Hair Day

Besides feeling crappy for over a week, every day has been a bad hair day. Today I took charge and called for an appointment. Could not get in til June 2....but with a date set I can deal with it.

Tonight my joints feel like they are on the mend. The meds I am taking for the Leukemia are beginning to bring my "white fighters" count up slowly, which was the plan. So maybe I am heading into a better weekend than the last one.

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Saturday, May 16, 2009

How Easily We Forget....

My Rheumatoid Arthritis has been under control for 4 or five years. I had fogotten how painful it was to have it jump from joint to joint swelling. When the doctors were beginning to try to find out how come my "white fighters" were not developing, first thing they took me off of was the RA meds.





When that did not bring it back up, I was not put back on it. The tests found I have this rare Leukemia ( LGL). Some of the meds I take for it will help with the RA. I was a little leary at first....waiting to have an attack, the I forgot about it.





Well this week, I had an arm bothering me, but did not think it was that. Doc gave me some pain pills and I expected it to pass. The next day my right wrist and hand began showing off, and it did not take me but a few minutes to get my memory back of that horrible pain those joint can give you.





I was back on the phone today for more than pain pills. Got some prednisone that can work miracles in a short time.





Everyone that has RA does not get the Leukemia, but most that have the type of Leukemia I have also have RA.



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Monday, May 11, 2009

Real Spring Comes So Slow

Spring, Almost


The sunshine gleams so bright and warm,
The sky is blue and clear.
I run outdoors without a coat,
And spring is almost here.
Then before I know it,

Small clouds have blown together,
Till the sun just can't get through them,
And again, it's mitten weather.

Author unknown


This poem reminds me of the past few weeks. I put on short sleeves as it is warm. But grab a light jacket "in case". Over the course of the day, the jacket is off and on many times.

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In a couple more weeks, I will have my flowers potted and arranged, and the magic of the sunshine will keep them growing and me warm.

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Tuesday, May 5, 2009

City Wide Garage Sale

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This Sat is the City Wide Garage Sale and we are having one this year. We do not get in it every year, but my daughter, granddaughter and husband have accumulated lot of "stuff", and it is time to get rid of it.

I do not seem to have much to put in one at this time. I have been getting rid of a lot of stuff on Ebay.

Usually when we have a sale Jim drags all the tables out and arranges them, and both of us price. This year I have got a pass. The girls have marked their stuff and Jim has marked his. The girls will be here to work it, so I can just pop in and out and mingle.

Sounds like it will be a good day....well until the money is divided and I do not have any. Maybe I can get Jim to share some of his.

Friday, May 1, 2009

MAY DAY

Maypole dance:On the first day of May, English villagers woke up at daybreak to roam the countryside gathering blossoming flowers and branches. A towering maypole was set up on the village green. This pole, usually made of the trunk of a tall birch tree, was decorated with bright field flowers. The villagers then danced and sang around the maypole, accompanied by a piper.

I do not remember ever doing a May Pole, but we did May Baskets. You made a basket out of construction paper,picked flowers, or made them, and left them on someone's porch.

I am afraid if I had a May Pole tomorrow it would rain on it.

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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Pandemic

All the news is about the Swine Flu, and how it is spreading.

How Ironic. Today I began taking the pills with chemicals that hopefully will bring my "white fighters" up....and all over the world the Swine Flu is progessing to a Pandemic status.


Have been told to say out of crowds. How many people make a crowd?


Oh well, everything will look better when the rain quits.



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Still Going On Borrowed White Fighters

Went back to the dr. today, the shot I got last week did not bring my white fighting count up any at all. It was down from 700 to 400, so I am using up the ones I got in the IV
Plan B will be to begin some pills this week and see if they will work. Will go back in 3 weeks after taking them and see if I have made it up to 1500 or 2000 by then.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Those Birthdays Just Keep Coming




I had a birthday April 19th, and above are a couple of things I got. I also got some Scratch Off Lottery Tickets which I won $16.00 on, so I can play some more. Well I already turned that in, to get more and now have $10.00 to go back and get more. I will keep playing them til they are gone or get a big win. Odds are it will keep going til I scratch off the last loser. I also got some cash, which I used some of to buy me a much needed new purse. I have to have an organizational purse. Cannot handle those that you drop things in and then dig for. So when I get a purse and get it organized, I carry it til it looks pretty ratty. (I do have some small purses to drop your drivers lis in and go to an occasion and put it up again...so I do not look ratty all the time). Anyhow now I have dumped my brown ratty purse, and have a springy beige one for summer.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

A Diagnosis At Last

Went back Tuesday for my follow up. My low count of infection fighting white cells had come from 0 up to 700 from my 8 hour IV treatment 2 weeks ago.
The cause of this is low cell count is T Cell Large Granular Lymphocytic Leukemia. It is a rare form, only 2-3% of the cases of lymphocytic Leukemias are this type. They do not know what causes it. But most people who have it also have Rheumatoid Arthritis, which I do have. Mine has been controlled and I have not had a flare up in 4 or 5 years.
Tuesday I got a shot that may bring my count up more. It is supposed to be 1500 to 2000. He does want mine at 1500. Was told I may have some bone pain from the shot, and I have. I guess it is supposed to rev up my bone marrow to produce more cells. I go back next Tuesday to see if my numbers are closer to normal
I guess if I have to have a disease, it might as well be a rare one.

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Sunday, April 12, 2009

What Happened To My Rose Colored Glasses

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I have always considered myself a very optimistic person. I expect things to turn out good....glass half full, etc. However the past month or so my mind has began to expect the worst.
I had a routine test a the doctor back in February, and they had me retake it 3 times. Each time I expected it to be alright. Then I was referred to a Hematologist. He took some tests and took me off a medicine I was on that could have caused the blood disorder. I went back in a week very optimistic that this had taken care of it and I would get a normal test. Did not happen.
I had to have a bone marrow test to narrow down the diagnosis. Went back expecting to be put on some pills, but was sent for an intravenous treatment that took over 8 hours. I do not know yet if this was effective, if I have to have another or if I will be given some oral meds for treatment. So I have been bottomed out.
Today I had to revamp my thinking and get myself back on track. I do not like being a pessimist. I have been told that whatever I have is not life threatening, and is treatable. So I am just going to have to get back to my old self, quit worrying about it, recognize this as a passing cloud, and move on. I cannot be moaning and groaning about my self when I have a son that has diabetes and 7 or 8 hearts stents. Or when I have a daughter that has had tripple bypasses and several stents. I have to climb out of my little blue funk and deal with it.

I feel much better in my rose colored glasses......

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Annual Eye Exam Time Tomorrow

It is time for my annual check up tomorrow. I hope I do not need new glasses. Some years there is no change others there are.



I love getting new frames, but I have such a time picking them out. I always have frames strung out everywhere.

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I will not do it tomorrow if I need them because I hate to pick frames with my eyes dialated.

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Saturday, April 4, 2009

The Puzzle

Two chewed up pieces from Charlie, and one missing I probably vacuumed is not bad for over a 3 mo period.....Photobucket

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The Chewer.....


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Now it is done..........


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